How To Throw A Hook In Boxing

In boxing, there are lots of different types of punches available. You've got your jabs, got your hooks, got your crosses, and your uppercuts. In this video, I'm talk to you about how to throw a hook.

Now, a hook, the idea is that you're aiming to the side of the jaw or the pad or the boxing bag, whatever you're trying to hit. Let me show you a few times first. Then, I'll explain it.

A few things to note: Fundamentally, the power comes from the rotation and not from just swinging my arm. That wouldn't make any impact, wouldn't hurt. The power comes from turning my hips.

When I turn my hips, my shoulders follow, my arm follows through. If you have a look at my feet, when you throw the hook, let's forget about actually stepping into it a little bit and just focus on the weight transfer. Now, if I'm throwing a right hook, all the weight should be on the balls of my right feet, so when I turn my hips, my foot turns.

In fact, all the energy turns in one go. What I was taught, which really helped me, was to throw my knee cap into the top of my calf. Bang.

I'm slightly sinking down. And if you look at my body as a whole, as I'm doing the hook, that gets much more power. Okay, so, rotation.

Turn the heel, it turns the hip, it turns the shoulders. The second point is the angle of my arm. If I have it really small, that's not going to do anything.

If I have it really completely flat, it's going to be like a baseball bat. Again, that's not a hook. What I want somewhere in between is this angle here.

If you look at this angle, if I do a slow motion punch, it doesn't really change that much, it stays pretty solid. It's going to make impact. It's hard.

It's solid. So, rotation, a nice bend in the arm, which stays solid, and the final point, a good habit, your other hand which isn't hooking should always be up. There's no point practicing big wild hooks if this hand is dropped, you're going to get knocked out.

Always keep the hand up close to your chin and come back. Practice this in front of a mirror, as in shadow boxing. Practice against focus pads where people hold pads, impact, or you can practice against a boxing bag getting the technique.

If you're practicing hooks against a boxing bag, always use wraps and wear boxing gloves. Safety first. And there are some tips on how to throw a hook.

|Dan, personal trainer and owner of a fitness consultancy in London, gives step-by-step boxing instructions about how to throw a hook most effectively.